Do you use supplemental lighting?

[Jennc-123]

I use light on a 12 hour timer. I have increased it to 13 after solstice. It gets very dark where I am in winter. It also helps them find their way back to roost from the run if they stay out too late.

 

[wolfwalker]

I have solar lights in the coops. As soon as it starts to get dark they go on for another 3 hours of light.

The way I figure it, the hens stop laying for 5-6 weeks during molt and that is a rest from laying and enough of one really. We also have a lot of predator's around here on the new place and the extra lights and the motion solar lights so far have kept them from the coop and runs.

We also seem to be having an issue with 2 legged interlopers it seems. I went outside this morning and found someone had used a knife to cut their way into the hydroponics house, which pisses me off as if they needed to get out of the cold and weather, the door was unlocked and they could have just wandered in. The hydro house is the only place that has no supplemental light around so is always in the dark at night.

 

[Minky]

I personally think its nuts to have chickens and not supplement lighting. If you live in California, or Florida, or Mexico- then, no, don't bother- but Im in Canada...and that would mean no eggs from mid OCT until mid April. ???? Our lights go on at 4am. They are all done laying by noon, and if there is a late egg I see it when I tuck them in at 5 pm, lights go off at 5, and sunset is shortly after. I get 15 eggs a day from my 25 birds- about half of my 2 and 3 yr olds are not laying. They break about 2 months for moult. Pullets and 1 year olds are all laying.

 

[chickencoop57]

I personally think its nuts to have chickens and not supplement lighting. If you live in California, or Florida, or Mexico- then, no, don't bother- but Im in Canada...and that would mean no eggs from mid OCT until mid April. ???? Our lights go on at 4am. They are all done laying by noon, and if there is a late egg I see it when I tuck them in at 5 pm, lights go off at 5, and sunset is shortly after. I get 15 eggs a day from my 25 birds- about half of my 2 and 3 yr olds are not laying. They break about 2 months for moult. Pullets and 1 year olds are all laying.

Minky, I live in Texas and I do have supplemental lighting as well as for heat. It dosent get that cold here. I was getting 4 to 6 eggs a day but now I'm getting up to 10 from 13 hens.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

As many have posted, depends on where you live. If you live WAY far south like I do, no need for extra lighting. Understand those who do need to.